Beggs (surname)
Beggs (Irish: Ó Beig[1]) is a Gaelic surname, which originated in Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word beag, which means little, although some instances of the name derive from the English name 'Bigg'.[2] As a result of migration Beggs live in Ireland, Scotland, England, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It was first found in Inverness-shire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Spelling variants include Begg, Begge or Beg[3][4] The name is rare and its bearers primarily reside in Northern Ireland.[5]
In 1890 an estimated 1340 bore the name, primarily in County Antrim and County Dublin.[6] In the 1980s half of its bearers in Ireland were located in County Antrim and in the mid-1800s it was almost exclusively contained to the barony of Antrim Upper.[7]
People[edit]
- Bobby Beggs, Irish gaelic footballer
- Charles A. Beggs (1869–1939), American politician
- Gail Beggs, Canadian government official
- Jacqueline Beggs (born 1962), New Zealand entomologist and ecologist
- James M. Beggs (1926–2020), former American NASA administrator
- Joe Beggs (1910–1983), American baseball player
- John I. Beggs (1847–1925), American entrepreneur, former director of General Electric
- Lyall T. Beggs (1899–1973), American politician
- Nick Beggs (born 1961), British musician, member of Kajagoogoo
- Pam Beggs (born 1947), Australian politician
- Richard Beggs, sound designer and Academy Award winner
- Roy Beggs (born 1936), Northern Ireland politician
- Roy Beggs Jr (born 1962), Northern Ireland politician, son of Roy Beggs
- Alabama Beggs, fictional lead character in Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald
See also[edit]
- Barbara Cass-Beggs (1904–1990), Canadian folk song collector, singer and teacher
- Beggs (disambiguation)
- Begg
References[edit]
- ^ "beggs". sloinne.ie.
- ^ O'Laughlin, Michael C. (1999). The Families of County Dublin, Ireland Over Four Thousand Entries from the Archives of the Irish Genealogical Foundation. p. 63.
- ^ Last name: Beggs The Internet Surname Database
- ^ Beggs Surname, Family Crest and Coat of Arms HouseOfNames.com
- ^ Neafsey, Edward (2002). The Surnames of Ireland Origins and Numbers of Selected Irish Surnames. Irish Genealogical Foundation. p. 8.
- ^ Quinn, Sean E. (2000). Surnames in Ireland. Irish Genealogy Press. p. 42.
- ^ Bell, Robert (1988). The Book of Ulster Surnames. Blackstaff Press. p. 15.
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